Battlefield 2020: Rise of the Union Jack
by Nicky2342
Summary: Nicky, an avid Battlefield 3 addict, is with his friends planning for thier upcoming vacation after a gruelling exam. Little does he know that his vacation is about to get a little more Battlefield acquainted
1. Chapter 1: Surprise

Location  
16:00  
November 27, 2013  
Singapore, ITE College West

**Cheers emanated from every corner of the school as celebrating students crashed through doors. The term had finally ended, and with it, a few months needed for the young charges to let off steam, and the nerve wrecked teachers to recover from the wild antics of the disruptive adolescents.  
Glancing at my classmates, i shot them a euphoric look as we filed out of class in an orderly manner in stark contrast to the rest of the school. A celebration of sorts was needed and we had three bloody months off. After a grueling exam, we certainly deserved a healthy dose of play time.  
We headed for the lift lobby, deep in animated discussions, mostly about the upcoming soccer season and upcoming party plans. Three months of unadulterated pure pleasure. The more we thought about it, the more it seemed inviting to bask in the infectious mood already set by the hyper students in the campus.  
The brash discussions certainly went up a notch as we piled into the lift with screams and yet more unabashed cheering, with no one paying a second notice to the cryptic groans of the lift as it struggled to bring ten eager young adults to the ground floor.

Outside, it had darkened considerably, with storm front clouds moving in the path of the sun, obscuring the cerulean tinted sunlight that was streaming over the school only moments ago, threatening to unleash a torrential rain that would surely dampen the exuberant mood as students poured out of the emptying campus.

**

There was barely a moment's warning when the lift juddered to a halt in between floors, extinguishing its lights and encasing the lift in pitch black darkness. A mass panic ensued despite the emergency lights coming online a few seconds later. The thoughts of the lift careening down the lift shaft to a thousand and one scenarios started to gain momentum and coupled with the high strung mood prior to entering the lift, was definitely not a good combination in a fritzy lift. This was a matter for cool heads.  
Calming them down, i reminded the frazzled students help would come soon, gingerly pressing the emergency call button myself to alleviate fears of my own that were struggling to surface. No response.  
As the minutes ticked by, it was soon apparent that help was not going to come and it was getting hotter by the minute. The oxygen levels were depleting with each passing second and i directed four guys to the front of the lift, intending to partially force open the door to allow air from the lift shaft to enter the stuffy lift.  
Even as they pulled, the lift suddenly coughed into life and the unmistakable whirr of the compressor fans spooling was met with delight. The danger had passed. Or so, we thought as the elevator doors opened with a unmistakable clang.

Stepping out, we were greeted by the sight of men sporting brown khaki uniforms passing by. Something about them sent bad vibes down my spine. They were familiar indeed from somewhere, but i could not place where it was. From the looks of it, they seemed to be army personnel and dangerous. Why were they here? And where were the lively students that were only ago celebrating like no other?  
Urging my friends to stay back, i stole after the patrol. They were conversing in a foreign language that i was unacquainted with. Our armed forces certainly did not sport khaki gear or camo. So who were they?  
They were certainly armed to the hilt and ready for business; both soldiers were decked out with Type 100 sub-machine guns, Nambu pistols and Type 97 grenades, the very weapons which i fought with as the Imperial Japanese Army faction in the Call of Duty World at War videogame. Those were the days before the lore of Battlefield goodness for Treyarch.

I was looking at a couple of Imperial Japanese Army troops. What the hell was happening? It took a few seconds for the truth to hit me. We had somehow been transported to fifty years before along with the school and probably with some of the students. The Japs were clueless about the modern technology that littered the school, and probably would learn through their harsh questioning methods that were sure to follow once they took prisoners.  
To complicate matters, students who had been unlucky enough to chance upon the patrols had been herded into the demeanor had changed abruptly,fear and respect written on their face ,in stark contrast from the unabashed monkeying so usually typical of term end cast furtive glances over at the Japanese soldiers, only to be met by steely faces that demanded every ounce of respect.

Spotting some of my other schoolmates, i beckoned them over to where i was hiding. It'd meant that the lift was not only the area where time travel had supposedly worked its magic on. We were in a grim situation, facing the prospect of being stuck for eternity in this alternative timeline or mowed down by Japanese troops. My friends were certainly going on the way to the hall where the rest of the students were gathering, instead of waiting to be dragged by force at gunpoint.  
I emphatically refused to follow them as the memories of Sook Ching massacres flooded my mind. Time took a focal point at this stage and we had yet to find a way to save the school from the massacres if the Japs were planning any. Returning to 2013 was the prioritized objective.  
There was nothing else to be said, for one of my schoolmates turned ashen with fear. There was a noise, which i recognized as a cocking of a gun.  
I steeled myself as i backed up into a barrel of a Type 100, gripped by none other than a Japanese soldier.  
Busted.


	2. Chapter 2:Welcome to Syonan-to

The soldier yelled something in Japanese, harshly prodding me with butt of the Type 100, presumably to find out my identity. Left with no choice, i identified myself in bits and pieces of Japanese that i had picked up.  
Having none of the jabbering i was uttering, he pointed to our group and myself and motioned them to follow him.  
I winced as the barrel was prodded into the back of my head, forcing me to march. There was absolutely no escape. Steel resolve was part of his pugnacious persona and even if i were to try and fight for the gun, i would be nothing more than a dead piece of meat a second later.  
There was no choice but to go along. To passing soldiers, we were captured fugitives on the way to the hall.  
What lay in wait for us? A firing squad? Perhaps the hall itself would present opportunities to exploit, if not here. This walk at gunpoint was not unlike the forced death marches that the Nazis organized to the Auschwitz and Brachnau death camps. But there were no American Marines to liberate us this time. This was no way to go. What a joke our life would be, to have been raised in the future away from the ravages of the war but ultimately dying in the horrors at the whim of nature.  
Making a mental calculation, we would soon be reaching the hall and yet any window of opportunity had not appeared.  
As we traversed along the corridor, i stole a few glances behind, only to met by the fixated eyes of the Japanese soldier watching me intently, with his fingers resting unconsciously on the trigger. Shuddering at the close proximity of his trigger finger, i turned back.  
Outside, it had started pouring. The weather had definitely picked the chance to add insult to injury.  
There was barely a moment's warning when the corridor lights flickered, and the soldier's concentration was broken as he turned his attention to the recalcitrant lights, unnerved at this sudden display. The window had finally appeared.

Now. Jamming my elbow back; the moment-ant loss of breath confirmed the accuracy of my blow. The barrel was no longer positioned at my back as the soldier staggered back, trying to regain his balance. Giving him no chance, i followed up, delivering a hook to his face as i tried to wrench the submachine gun away from him.  
Battling for the Type 100 earned me a ferocious chop to the neck. The soldier had recovered and was trying to fend off my challenge for the gun.I saw stars as the pain raged through my body but relentlessly held was a battle of a tipped balance which i was losing as the struggle for the submachine gun raged on, only interrupted by the occasional pattering of the incessant rain. Unable to hold on for longer, the superiority of the well trained soldier telling, i yelled for my fear-stymied classmates to lend a hand.  
Some of my classmates, breaking out of their stunned paralysis, charged into the fray, landing blows on the struggling soldier.  
Despite the ferocious attempts by the well-built soldier to bring his weapon to bear, the sheer superiority of numbers overwhelmed him and he was hastily relieved of his weapons.  
One of my classmates, terror-stricken, raised the Type 100 in unerring accuracy between the eyes and pulled the trigger.  
Even as i tried to stop my classmate, the soldier was thrown backwards in a welter of blood and brains, a single drop of blood emerging from the hole where the bullet had penetrated.

There was no time to lose as shock began to set in. Someone would have heard the gunshot and would come to investigate. Reprisals would ensue, if the brutal accounts of the Japanese atrocities were to be believed. Running over to the corpse, i rummaged the corpse for extra ammunition, dragging the body out of sight. The search yielded roughly about seven clips of 9x99mm bullets, a Nambu sidearm pistol with four clips of ammo and five grenades. Not a bad start but time was running out, quickly and we were tensed for a shootout to occur, until my eyes fell upon a toilet sign. Herding everyone inside, we were hard pressed to organize and prepare for the inevitable assault. Four of us were chosen to provide defense against the assault, hurriedly splitting the remaining grenades among each other.  
Sure enough, raucous shouts were heard as footsteps converged on our positions. The body must have been discovered and certainly we were made. We were absolutely exposed out in the open but in hindsight, so were they. The only way to us was a narrow L shaped hallway that would funnel the soldiers towards us. The high rate of fire provided by the Type 100 as well as the Nambu would cover the diminutive entrance. It was only a matter of reloading the short clips to keep the massed fury going.  
As the door crashed open, we let rip. The recoil was tremendous, but manageable as waves of Japanese soldiers fell in the onslaught of the full auto firepower and timely grenade explosions.  
There was a ping as the Type-100 clicked empty. Grabbing a grenade next to me, i pulled the pin and heaved it towards the hallway, taking advantage of the momentary explosion to slam in a new magazine.

As the cloud of smoke dissipated, we waited with bated breath. A deathly silence had descended upon the devastated smell of death, in retrospect, lingered around, as dead Japanese soldiers piled in the hallway. Would there be a second wave?

The silence was overwhelming as the minutes ticked by. There was no time to play a waiting game. We still had a school to rescue.  
Picking up a second grenade, i edged towards the exit with the Type-100 and the projectile at the ready, on hair trigger alert. Where the door once stood had been replaced with a gaping hole, complete with strewn body parts of unlucky soldiers caught in the blasts.  
Gauging the trajectory of the cavernized exit,i flung the grenade out of the hole, ducking back into cover. Any secondaries laying in wait would be caught in the blast.

As the explosion rocked the area, i flung myself out of the hallway and sprayed the Type-100 into the smoke filled area, throwing myself down to the floor to avoid the crossfire. Cries of death rang out as the bullets found their mark, eliminating secondaries who were not caught in the blast radius.  
Springing up, i took a moment to survey the destruction, reloading the spent weapon as i scavenged the dead bodies for working Type-100s and ammo, distributing them among the we were to escape, we had to escape as a team.  
There was no time to lose as we sprinted over the dead bodies, heading for the engineering block, where the hall lay in wait.


	3. Chapter 3:Redemption

Silence was a paramount need, considering the dangers of the explosive situation we had just dug ourselves out.. Time was also of the essence as we deliberated on the route to the hall. Figuring the lifts were a better option, we made haste for the auditorium, splitting up in teams for a two pronged assault.  
There were two soldiers lingering outside the first entrance of the auditorium, having a smoke break. No doubt tasked on the lookout for unsuspecting students, the copious guards instead were on the lookout for their self-interests, as they menacingly leered at the fear abashed students in the auditorium, raising their submachine guns in their direction every now and then, enjoying the sheer terror on their faces.

Nodding to one of my friends who did the same, i unsheathed the field knife that i had scavenged, moving as silently as possible.  
So silent was our approach, so absorbed were the soldiers in taunting thier captives that there was no time to bring their weapon to bear as we lunged at them.  
Whatever speech that was managed was quickly drowned out as both knifes were plunged into their necks, expunging all life from the dead bodies we now were supporting.  
Dragging the lifeless corpses out of sight, we made ready for a direct assault on the hall, entering through a side door that led to the stage.

As we surveyed the hall from the protection of the stage curtains, our chances were indeed second to none. Rows after rows of students were seated, with Japanese soldiers at each ends of the seats on guard. Whether they had news of the explosive situation earlier was up in the air but it seemed that the general idea floating in the auditorium indicated that nothing out of the ordinary, and that a routine guard was in place. This was good.  
As I stole back into the shadows of the stage area, the situation bored down on me.I had read so much into hostage situations such as the SQ hijacking case on Wikipedia, but never would i dream that the safety of the school students depended on us, certainly not in an age where my grandparents were teenagers!  
Circling back to the squad, we immediately devised plans to assault the hall. Grenades were out in this case as it would mean friendly casualties, a scenario no one wanted a visit to. The wide open stage also meant that we were fully exposed despite the initial advantage of surprise. If the other team were to breach from the back doors of the auditorium, it would hang in the balance. Timing was key here. But without communications from our handphones this was going to be tricky. The whole thing between life or death was in the balance. Not only for the students in the auditorium, but us.  
Death had never entered my mind from the moment the first shot was fired, but it now seemed a big possibility in such a big operation. Don't we all love wandering minds given all the time in the world?

As my eyes fell upon a light switch, it hit me in an instant. Darkness was not a, but the only weapon we could use to manipulate the outcome.  
Hurrying over to the master controls to the hall near the fire extinguisher, i gaped at the amount of buttons on the console. It was not as much a spanner in the works, but certainly a big enough problem to factor in.  
There was not a moment to waste.

Swiftly i gathered the team around, altering our plans to factor in the new plans, distributing the tasks among the group.  
As the last murmurs died away, the team assembled into position, ready to strike.  
Nodding to the person tasked with the light controls, i whispered a silent prayer just as the large fluorescent lights went out, plunging the hall into pitch black darkness.  
The moment had come.  
Even as the first screams materialized, i dived forward, propelling myself towards the first row seats for cover as gunfire began to erupt.  
Launching myself out of cover, i squeezed off two shots at the nearest guards. The golden glow of the muzzle repertoire briefly illuminated the gaping wounds of the dying soldiers before the the darkness took over. Urging the students to stay down, i replaced a fresh mag, aware that i still had business to take care of.  
Moving with the flow of the still charging team, i took cover behind a seat just as a burst of stray bullets nearly found its mark, whizzing so close that the disturbance in the air could be seen.

A ray of light and a new report of gunfire erupted somewhere near the top of the auditorium. Succumbing to my curiousness, i dared myself to risk a peek. The second team had breached from the back stairs, presumably on hearing the gunfire and had now effectively trapped the Japanese soldiers in a pincer pronged attack.  
Bolstered by the surge in reinforcements, i pushed on amid the chaos, taking cover behind a railing just as a stray bullet whizzed by, its wake creating a disturbance in the air.

As i vaulted over the railing, i sighted another soldier raising his automatic. Without a moment to lose, i feigned to the right as bullets exploded all around. In the microsecond of the moment, my body vaunted left, allowing a clean mark at the soldier.

Raising my automatic, i squeezed the trigger. The resounding muzzle explosion was tremendous as the bullets discharged from the chamber, disintegrating the soldier's head in a plethora of blood.  
The whole thing reminded us of the Expendables 2 as we pushed onward surely but slowly, with guttural screams of death echoing around the hall, along with helpful doses of bloodletting.  
A loud yell echoed behind me and the world seemed to swim out of focus in the next instant. I had been knocked senseless to the blood soaked carpet. As my eyes swam back into focus, i could make out a blurry figure preparing to dispatch me. A glint of metal on his rifle told me all i needed to know, but fear had my body paralyzed. Closing my eyes, i prepared for the inevitable.  
The air around us seemed to explode as i felt something wet touch my face, forcing my eyes open. The Japanese was frozen in a firing posture as he slid to his knees, his mouth echoing the yell that would never come.  
His forehead was shattered, blood trickling down the open wound. A bullet had been fired, but it had been meant for the executioner, not the prey.  
I was helped to my feet as CK guided me into cover.  
"Christ thanks, I've could've sworn that was my last moment"  
CK shook his head slowly. "Don't be a rambo, asshat, it ain't a fuckin game"  
"Gotcha the first time, chief"  
Grabbing my rifle, i battled on, clearing in tandem to the top. As the last of the gunfire died away, the darkness retreated as the bulbs began to illuminate the devastated battleground. Bodies littered the area as frightened students whimpered at the horrors of death stared back at them with unrelenting fealty. But there was only one thing that mattered most. The operation had gone off without a hitch. Everyone was safe, despite the chaotic battle gripping the hall.  
Taking a moment to collect myself from the chaos that had transpired only seconds ago, i made my way towards the stage. The situation was in a better light with possibly every student accounted for, but it certainly threw new challenges along with it. We had to stay stealthy before we were discovered and the Japanese soldiers had exactly what we hadn't. Manpower and Firepower. An extended firefight would see us probably vanquished in this strange timezone.  
There was no time to lose.

The familiar colors of the school uniforms that identified us as friendly faces helped ease the hysterical students in the hall who were witnesses to the carnage only moments earlier.  
Clambering upon the blood soaked stage, i addressed the still panicky students, illustrating the problem that we were burdened with. The sounds of hysteria among the crowd died away with each word that was spoken and i soon had the rapt attention of the whole school, something which the teachers had failed to achieve in all the years since the school was founded.  
As the gravity of the situation was made known to the school, the hall was alive with murmurs of mixed feelings regarding the current dilemma. But the situation was clear for all of us. We had to secure the school and defend it from any further possible Japanese attempts to retake the school until the phenomena occurred again, which seemed impossible in the face of the strongest force in the Pacific. The British would come in handy here.  
The odds were firmly stacked against us, but just as helpless as we were in the beginning, we could overcome it.  
As the students converged on the stage, there was a general sense of camaderie. People volunteered to organize the defence contingent. A few moments later, it was decided. The hall would be the headquarters of the defence force.  
The teachers' disappearance still yet weighed a heavy battle in my mind. What would become of the school once we were back in the future?  
The thought did not amount to much, but then it struck me. Being in this timeline had changed everything. The fallen soldiers, the inevitable battle with the Japanese it would be recorded in the annals. What significance would this put in the future?  
Letting the thought consume me, i picked up the weapon at my side. It had been my savior, and everyone else's. And for as long as this phenomena lasted, it would stay status quo. Whatever it was, survival in this lurid place was imperative. If it meant killing to survive, so be it.  
Slinging the Type-100 over my shoulder, i called up my friends, directing a cursory nod towards the entrance of the hall. Acknowledging the order, we made towards the exit.  
It felt like the world depended on us as we pushed past the glass doors. Ironically, that was just what it was.


	4. Chapter 4:Jaguar

Transportation was not an issue, with the trip to the carpark yielding a treasure trove of modern cars which had been transferred to the current timeline. Inasmuch as it was automotive heaven, it quickly turned to frustration as none of us knew how to hotwire a car. We were fucked.  
Remembering the keys that our teacher kept on work cars, i raced over to the transmission lab, returning with several keys of different marques dangling from my hand.  
We were certainly not going to hoof it all the way to the city centre in half dismantled cars and finally settled for a slightly new black Jaguar XK-R, figuring its color would give us an advantage of blending into the night, and with the Jaguar emblem hopefully a helpful source for recognition among the British troops.  
Tossing the key to my friend, we quickly piled in. CK plunged the key in, coaxing the engine to start up.  
With an almighty roar, the engine turned over into life, its loud rasps the sign of an awakening monster. One that was not to be trifled with, as CK found out the hard way, fighting the wheelspin as the Jag peeled out of the lot.  
The trip out of the school yielded nothing but nature wonderland as the greenery assaulted our eyes. After being so accustomed to the concrete skyline that was modern Singapore, the trip into sixty decades churned out nothing but, empty narrow lanes with rustic metal kampongs on either side of the road.  
The Jaguar held out nicely on the road, doing about 80Ks, as fast we could go in the relative darkness of the night we crashed or threw ourselves off a ravine. The headlights had been turned off not to call attention to ourselves; with a war raging on we were obliged to keep away lest the Japanese would discover us and that would be the end of everything.

We were nearing the city centre now, with bombed out shophouses lining the road. Finally something to identify with. This was it. Riding into town with a car was usually a run of a mill way to travel back in the future, but riding in a car from 60 years from the future was bound to provoke surprise, with mystified natives slowly approaching the car, with expressions of stymy and wonder on their face at this machine that looked like nothing from this world.  
Glancing out the window, i tried to remember the gist of what i learned in history back in secondary school. The British had been stationed in Fort Canning Park, a relatively easy place to find back in the future. With unfamiliar landmarks and shop houses in the currently timeline, it seemed next to impossible to find.  
As though as echoing my thoughts, my friend jumped out of the car and was already asking for directions from a local as the rest of the natives crowded around the car.  
There was nothing else to be said, for at that instant an air raid siren sounded and the sea of people quickly became a trampling mass trying to find shelter. A Japanese air raid.  
Scrambling back into the car was bound to be tricky, but a few moments later, my friend was already in the car, gunning the engine as the first Zeros swooped down on the stricken town.  
The Jaguar struggled for grip , its V8 screaming as the revs rose, bucking forward just as a free falling bomb impacted the road where it had only been a few seconds ago, leaving a huge crater in the asphalt.

The massive shockwave that followed manhandled the car, but the windows held steadily, miraculously withstanding the force of the bomb.  
"That was a close one, CK" i exclaimed, unconsciously wiping my invisible handkerchief. I turned to my friend, but his expression now betrayed nothing but a face full of concentration of evading the Zeroes who had turned their attention at this strange machine that could cover ground unlike anything they had set their eyes on.  
"Hang on" CK warned, not before throwing the car into a series of turns, as bullets zinged all around. The Zeroes had resorted to firing their mounted machine guns, having expended their bombs on the civilian houses in the carnage they had wrought earlier.  
"I'd appreciate a warning beforehand, CK" groaning awkwardly as the G forces assaulted my body. This was too good to be true. What was luckier than striking the lottery? Being thrown into a strange phenomenon, getting shot at, and now in a car trying to evade a horde of Zeroes i couldn't really think of anything else for luckier or worse, depending on what i perceived.  
"The siren was warning enough" CK quipped as he threw the car into a sharp right turn, sending the Jaguar almost airborne, with the planes in hot pursuit. The Zeroes were thundering above, trying as hard to score a direct hit on the Jaguar, but without much success.  
Where was CK going? All around them, there was nothing but greenery. As my eyes focused on the road ahead, it hit me. There was no asphalt ahead, except for a muddy trail into a dark dense forest where the road ran out.  
That was it! CK was trying to find cover as well as force the Zeroes to go lower, potentially increasing the chances of the Zeroes making a slight mistake and hopefully clipping a treetop.  
Urging on the pedal, CK gave the car every last bean it had, sending the car into the muddy forest trail and kicking up a spray of mud all over the fenders.

The shock was incredible, despite the Jaguar's half brotherly relation to it's off road brethren, Land Rover. There was nothing but darkness now as the trees reigned supreme. Nodding to CK, the headlights were switched on, lowering the chances of actually crashing into something at what must be at least a hundred KM/H in the countryside. Insane.  
As the noise overhead abated somewhat, i dared myself to risk a peek behind. Two of the Zeroes had broken formation, perhaps to rearm and refuel, leaving a lone Zero to pursue the Jaguar. The Zero had descended in altitude, almost shearing the treetops off as it accelerated ahead of the Jaguar. A marker for a second strike wave?  
I yelled for the Type-100, recognizing the chance that had been gifted to us. Unbuckling the seatbelt, i pitched myself out of the window as CK slowed the Jaguar. The Zero, not willing to lose its prey matched the deceleration. In doing so, it lost precious altitude, barely skimming the treetops as it tracked the Jaguar below.  
Locking my arms, i squeezed off a few rounds at the nose area of the Zero, puncturing the propeller blade. The Zero pitched forward as it lost power. As the plane dipped just above the treeline, the pilot blew the throttle wide open to prevent the aircraft from hitting the trees despite being low on fuel from the extended chase.  
The stricken plane regained altitude as it prepared to pull away from the battle. But i wasn't letting the aircraft go.  
A few more bursts yielded a punctured fuel tank, further crippling the doomed Zero as its precious lifeblood drained out of the fuselage  
The fuel needle must have reached empty, for the plane, which had been gaining altitude rapidly, was now slowly gliding back to earth as the propeller began to slow down.

Clambering back into the Jaguar, CK slewed the car to a stop to observe the stricken plane. All of us had our hand phones out, recording every second of the doomed plane.  
Despite the frantic pilot's attempts to stay airborne, the plane was coaxed back to earth by the laws of physics. Catching a treetop branch, the plane was catapulted towards the forest floor within moments, a fiery inferno was raging as the first series of explosions rocked the area. The seconds that ticked by after the carnage were one of silence. All eyes were fixated on the roaring fire. The sound of ammunition cooking off was deafening, but seemed far away from our minds.  
For a long while, no one spoke, until i reminded CK that we too, were running low on fuel.  
Turning off the lights, the Jaguar reversed its direction, roaring off into the dark until the wreckage was no more of a speck of light in the cavernised forest.


	5. Chapter 5: Do or Die

As the Jaguar hit the asphalt again it was assaulted by a strong light. Dawn had set in and it was soon where the blazing orange that was the sun would reign supreme, signifying a new day in this strange land.  
CK pulled the car over to the side, giving the Jaguar a much needed rest after the strenuous exercise the chase had wrought on it.  
As the four of us piled out from the vehicle, we basked in the ever strengthening luminosity of the sun's rays, soaking up ideas on our next move. Always better to be a step planned than to charge in guns blazing.  
The Japanese were bound to be looking for us and no doubt the British too. The MI6 had broken the Japanese diplomatic ciphers some years ago and were bound to stumble upon what highly classified reports the Zero pilots must have submitted to the Japanese High Command. Military Intelligence on both sides would be roused and on full alert, working overnight and piecing clues together. A Jaguar with unearthly powers, downing a Zero, no less!  
I turned to CK, absolutely beaten as the reality hit hard and sharp, only to be met by a neutral expression, as always.

"Now.. What do we do?" I asked a question that was now burning in our minds.  
Petrol. Gasoline was at the top of our list. Like the stricken Zero, we were absolutely buggered if our Jaguar gave up in hostile territory. Nodding to CK, the keys to the Jag were tossed over as i made my way to the rear of the car.  
As i popped the trunk, i examined the boot. Tools and auto necessities were littered around the boot, which was understandable as the car had been worked on recently. A glint of metal shone brightly to the left of the boot under the spare tyre. Curiosity got the better of me as i delved into the messy boot.

Clearing some of the tools, i reached deeper, and my eyes shone with triumph as i lifted a jerry can, still full of petrol. It had probably been left as a standby from the teacher working on the car.  
Something good had come at last in this world of strange paradoxes and bad news.  
Hauling the can out of the car, we set to work, breaking out the tools as we refilled and tuned the Jag. The afternoon sun was relentless, throwing the best of its rays at us by the time we'd finished. We were tired, famished and dirty, but the Jaguar was finally in tip top condition and raring to go, a testament to our steadfast efforts. Sliding the key in, i waited with bated breath for the results of our hard work.  
The V8 engine turned over with a loud thrum, slowly settling to a purring rhythm of mechanical goodness that only mechanics could only know. Exchanging smiles with the group, we let the engine run to distribute the fresh oil throughout the cylinder walls. With the success of the tune-up riding on our crests, we cleansed up and set off in search for the British forces.

As we threaded our way back into the city centre, the ravages of war greeted us. The crater where we had so narrowly escaped death leered menacingly at the Jaguar. Fires were breaking out in tandem across gutted shop houses as people raced around, trying to contain the damage.  
At the sight of the strange Jaguar creeping back into the stricken town, whatever state of chaos were quickly quelled as the people were floored. What they had last seen of the Jaguar had been three Zeroes on its tail and chances were that the occupants along with the car would have been dead by now. Yet it was slithering up to them, with nary a scratch to it.  
Easing the Jag to a stop, CK piled out of the car, motioning for us to do the same as the crowd once again surged towards the Jag, trying to get a better look at it.  
As the surging mob got too much to called for order as he explained our circumstances. The crowd fell silent, taking in every word, until a loud voice reigned supreme authority over the mayhem.  
A khaki uniformed figure was headed towards us, parting the people not unlike Jesus separating the Red Sea. Our hands were at the ready, unconsciously feeling for the Nambus in the jeans pocket in case it was the Japanese.  
As the figure neared, we relaxed our stance as the familiar uniform of the British Army materialized from the sea of people. A Corporal, no less, from the insignia on his uniform.

His eyes fell upon us, and then the Jaguar, surveying the car while giving us suspicious glances. It certainly did look the business after the grooming we had given it, its metallic coating gleaming in the hot afternoon sun. We couldn't have mud all over the car when it came to the British inspection.  
After what seemed like a month examining the car, the Corporal drew his sidearm in a smooth motion, training the sights on us.  
"Who exactly are you?" he snarled, his tone indicating he meant business.  
Oh great. He probably thinks we're a clandestine op from the IJA. This was bad.  
It was now or never. Cautiously, i stepped out of the group with my hands in the air.  
"Sir?" "I know you may find this hard to believe, but we're from the future" The reply in his native language startled him a little and his aim wavered for a second. His face seemed to be fraught with a mixture of astonishment and suspicion. But he did not make a move, seemingly processing the information I thought that id might as well fill the silence that followed.  
"We were somehow transported here from a natural phenomena."Not only us, but our school and students" I pointed in the direction of the school  
The gun was no longer trained at us as the Corporal let his gun hand fall.  
"Maybe you'd better come with us".

The ride to the British base was a sullen trip, with throngs of British troops surrounding the Jaguar as they made thier way to the gates of the Allied base. The Corporal had radioed the Allied outpost and the word was passed to us that the General was personally awaiting our arrival.  
The convoy rolled to a stop just outside the base. A soldier, as if on cue, secured the perimeter, urging the Jaguar in.  
With a loud snarl, the Jag crept into the muddy driveway, its headlights barely penetrating the dense early morning fog. Locating an empty spot, the black coupe pulled into the space.  
CK shut off the engine, muttering under his breath as footsteps pounded towards the automobile.  
As though as he had been waiting for us there all along, a figure approached the car, flanked by rifle wielding troops. The figure that was so universally scorned by his countrymen and Singaporeans after the war for his inept tactics that caused the fall of Singapore.  
Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival had been on tenterhooks ever since the news had reached him. With the Japanese burdening down on him in every part of Singapore, and supplies running out, he was close to desperation. Although they had slown the Japanese advance in some areas, it was clear that the British were losing ground rapidly. Surrender was inevitable within a few days or weeks.  
And suddenly, out of the blue, reports had surfaced that a Jaguar had downed a Zero! It couldn't have been that Jaguar had already started production of this wondrous car, with the stricken company still embattled with the proposed name change from the Swindon Company back in the UK.

The whole situation was now thrown out of the window as he had a first look at this mysterious Jaguar gliding like a ghost up to him, its LEDs accentuating its muscular frame. It was as though the Jag wielded a binding power to all that set their eyes on it. Tools and machinery dropped as awed faces of mechanics and soldiers gaped at the black coupe and its occupants as it slithered up the base entrance.  
As the Jaguar coasted to a stop, the rifles went up as if on cue, the soldiers keeping a tight overwatch over the General as he approached the coupe.  
The mood was grim in the car as Percival knocked on the glass with a stoic expression that had suspicion written all over it. The Nambus and Type-99 felt reassuring to some extent, but even if they could bring the weapons to bear, the car would be subjected to accurate potshots almost instantly.  
With hands in the air, we debarked from the car, with the soldiers still training their rifles on us. It seemed like deja vu from only a day ago.  
The General pointed towards a building. In my peripheral vision, i noticed that he had his sidearm drawn. Talk about maniac suspicion. I had to tread carefully.  
"Where are we going?" I dared ask.  
"To a place where you'll tell us the truth"

Nothing prepared us for the conditions of the bunker as we entered the building. Although the exterior sported relatively modern furnishings for its time and a fresh coat of paint, the inner sanctum betrayed filth in stark contrast. Straw lined the corridor, accentuated with the acrid smell of waste and death. The endless corridor eventually gave way to an iron door right at the end of the tunnel. Daring myself, i turned my head a fraction, only to be met by the General's Webley pointed at my back.  
Shuddering, i turned on my heels, quickening the pace.  
Another iron door, this time with guards manning the entrance. Salutes were exchanged as the General ambled ahead of us to the door, beckoning us to enter.  
With nary a choice, we headed into room.  
The first instance of humanity finally showed as the General removed his headdress, holstering his pistol and taking the chair at the far end of the table  
For a moment, no one spoke as he allowed himself all the time to recap the events of the past few days.  
Lifting his head up, he spoke in a calm, controlled voice.. "Who... exactly are you?" The atmosphere in the room was calm, and befitted its dated origins, with the only sound in the tension-filled chamber belonged to the whirring fan high above that was dispelling the humidity.

"General".  
"We're students, to be accurate, from the future." i breathed, looking at CK in the process. No one had the courage to speak, and the General looked like he expected, answers and fast.  
"And?"  
"Somehow we were studying at this college, in the year 2013, and we encountered a natural phenomena and got here, not only the student body, but the entire structure".  
"Do go on." Percival prodded. He was listening eagerly, although i suspected he had doubts about the story's authenticity. Perhaps he was desperate enough, to listen to anything.  
"Once we were warped into this timeline, the Japs had already discovered our school campus. And captured our student body."  
"We had to fight our way out to ask for help"  
"Impressive." Nodding sagely, the General sank back into his chair, allowing a few moments for his brain cogs to cough into overdrive. Was he going to change history? "I suppose you're from Singapore, right?" The General piped up, addressing all of us.  
I nodded and fell silent. There was no turning back.. Any moment now...  
"Okay." The General rose from his chair and strode over to the window at the far end of the interrogation chamber.  
"I want to see this school".

The ride to the school mostly passed without incident. The General had indented some of his base troops and a logistics team to form a convoy to the school.  
Percival had radioed the British HQ in England, revealing what direction the war would take, and requesting reinforcements to his already thinning Spitfire and Hurricane squadrons. With the American Lend Lease Act and the materiel transportation in full swing, the British were starting to get back on their feet and regressing the Axis advance in Europe and Asia.  
With the Jag in the lead, i looked at CK, who was driving. It almost felt as we were important, ensuring the safety of a General, no less. Someone who could protect and get us back to the same time.

As the Jaguar pulled in behind a row of cars at the school, with the convoy in tow, a strange noise filled the air. Straining my ears, my eyes widened with horror as the familiar sound of death closed in upon us.

Zeroes!  
Ducking behind a row of cars, i flattened the General against a Toyota as the Zeroes opened fire, strafing our location.  
Shrapnel engulfed our location as cannon fire pinged overhead, riddling the vehicles with bullet holes. A new burst of gunfire came in from somewhere near the garage entrance. CK was firing at the Zeroes with the 50 cal on one of the Jeeps. Good ol CK. The British troops were trying to get out their AA, as frenzied shouts came over the radio.  
Ordering the General to stay where he was, i ran for an unused M2 turret on a Jeep next to CK as bullets pinged precariously close to my foot.  
Grabbing the turret with both hands, i let rip. The recoil was tremendous despite the help of the bipod stand.

The Zeroes pulled sharply to the right, seemingly retreating from the battlefield as another tracer burst of fire lit up the sky, joined by an explosive cloud of gunpowder. Flak?  
Whirling around, i noticed three artillery gun pieces that hadn't been there before. But they were instantly recognizable. The iconic Bofors 40mm flak cannons, mainstay of the Allied antiaircraft battalions before the adoption of newer designs.  
As the Zeroes banked left yet again, an explosive shell caught one of the planes, shearing off its ailerons. Without the use of its hydraulics, the stricken plane canted to the right as the pilot struggled to remain in control.  
It was going to be clear that there was no way to save the aircraft as the pilot blew the throttle wide open, aiming the flaming hunk of oily metal earthwards. A Kamikaze attack on my position. Great.  
In all the time in the world i had left, i prayed as CK and i let rip at the Zero, hoping to hit the pilot, closing my eyes as the propeller blades raced towards me threateningly.  
There was a explosion, deafening the area as i felt the unfriendly burns of hot petrol contacting with my skin.  
My eyes were the first to witness the burning wreckage of the Zero as the searing pain forced my firmly shut eyelids to open. The plane had been diverted off course by a direct hit from an explosive shell.  
Without waiting to convert to a religious faith to give thanks, i ran inside the base as the first medics rushed to our position.

"Holy fuck". I glanced at CK as the medics worked thier charms on us, soothing the raw pains that the residing burns elicited.  
"That was close alright" "A direct hit, just not what the pilot expected it to be" CK winced as the burn cream touched his damaged skin.  
"Yeah".I looked at CK's wounds just as something dawned on me suddenly.  
"Hey, Usually an air raid precedes a full scale invasion right?"  
"Now that you mention it.." The efforts of the medics were put paid as the both of us rushed out of the medical tent, only to stop in our tracks.  
The battlefield ahead of us was filled with advancing Japanese tanks and infantry. And we had no heavy armor. Great.  
CK was already rushing to the top floor, a binoculars in his to be outdone, i followed in close pursuit as we rendenzvoused with the General, who was now weighing his chances of his survival as he put down his binoculars.  
With fury blazing in his eyes, he radioed for British unit in Singapore.. A counterattack to the death was the only way out.  
"Tank!" CK screamed just as the Japanese began the offensive. 


	6. Chapter 6: Ambush

Scrambling to a supply box nearby, i snatched up a bazooka and sighted the behemoth that was advancing menacingly on the school gate. A Ha-go.  
"Now!" The General screamed" Hit him!"  
I was almost bowled over by the recoil as my finger depressed the trigger. A short back blast, followed by a loud whoosh as the bazooka ejected from the tube, leaving a trail of smoke as it homed in on its target.

The missile slammed against the tank, dissecting the Ha-go as though it had been a sheet of paper, raining molten shards on nearby Japanese units.  
"Another!" "From the Northwest!" CK barked, from his over watch position.  
Scrambling to the supply box, i grabbed another bazooka and acquired the tank in my sights.  
"Clear, back blast!" i yelled , depressing the trigger as the bazooka launched out of its parent tube making contact with the Ha-go and condemning the tank to the same fate as its brethren earlier.

Dropping the expended tube, i rushed over to the supply box. Empty. We were out of rockets, with several tanks still charging relentlessly towards the school. Darn our luck.  
Spotting a mortar tube, i snatched it up and began to assemble it with the help of the General, who had arrived with a black case.  
Ripping the case open, the General fingered a black round, tossing it into my hands. HEAT? "Direct fire, one round, elevation One-Zero -Niner. HEAT".  
I adjusted the charges at the base of the round.  
"Round up"  
"Hang it"  
I slid the round into the tube and held it near the rim.  
"Fire!"  
In one smooth motion, i slammed the round downwards into the breech and ducked below the muzzle. A split second later, there was a tremendous blast as the projectile was catapulted into the air in a smooth arc, making contact with the top of a Ha-go tank as it was coaxed downwards by gravity.  
The explosion was tremendous, surrounding the tank with a blinding white light and replacing it with an atomised sheet of burning metal.

CK's voice rose over the carnage as i grabbed another HEAT round "Another tank, Northwest!"  
The General sighted the mortar tube as i adjusted the round charge, slamming the cone shaped projectile down the tube.  
"Fire!"  
The round left the tube, soaring gracefully in the air before making contact with a tank, blowing the turret away. A mobility kill.  
That was it. We were out.  
A single tank remained, still charging despite the carnage that had befallen its brethrens earlier. Leaning over to the General, i yelled to him if he had C4 lying somewhere.  
"C4? What in blazes for? "  
"Whatever, just don't blow yourself up" The General handed over a dozen satchels along with a timer and what looked like an ice cream shaped grenade.  
"I'm not blowing myself up" i retorted. "Just cover my advance okay?" With a salute, the General picked up a Lee Enfield rifle and began acquiring infantry targets.

Running to the parked convoy, i jumped into a jeep, slamming the key into the ignition, just as CK came in on cue. He had abandoned his position, delegating it to a soldier nearby.  
"Wow.. Is that a No-68 sticky AT grenade?" CK marveled. "Just peel off the cover, stick it on the back of the tank and.. Kaboom!" He illustrated with his fingers.  
Switching seats, i adjusted the timer on the C4 to ten minutes, activating the explosives.  
Ten minutes to live. Ten minutes to determine the fate of the school.  
I was sucked back into my seat as CK roared out of the parking lot, subjecting the Jeep to mazy turns as it found its way out of the school, broadsiding the locked gate.  
There it was, the solo tank. And it had spotted us.  
Giving the Jeep every last bean of power it had, CK swung the vehicle to the right, almost toppling the armored vehicle as the tank squeezed off a round, sending a wash of grass and mud all over us.  
"Fucking Japs!"  
The turret rotated as it tried to keep up with the Jeep, loosing off another round. I ducked as the spray of mud hit us again, prompting CK to activate the wipers.  
We were nearer to the tank now.. CK was aligning the passenger side of the Jeep to the armored vehicle.  
Sticking the AT grenade onto the C4, i prepared for the moment. Matter of timing and precision.. i thought.  
"Now!" CK roared as the Jeep shot abreast of the tank." Throw it!"  
Hurling the explosive package onto the engine compartment of the tank, i ducked back into the seat, preparing for the fiery explosion that was to come just as the timer hit zero.

The massive explosion sent pummeling shockwaves towards the Jeep as a fireball engulfed the tank, atomizing everything in the lethal radius to kingdom come.  
"Holy cow!" CK yelled. Both of our ears were ringing madly from the ferocity of the explosion.  
"JIHAD baby" I high fived CK as the Jeep cruised back to the school. A total Japanese rout.

The Japanese were retreating, not even daring to shoot at the relatively easy targets that we presented ourselves. But a few had to be discouraged from trying anything with a deadly burst from the mounted M2 Browning turret.  
From the school, Percival slowly let his breath exhale, raising his head above the scoped Lee-Enfield to confirm that what he had seen was not fictionalized. It seemed audacious, borderline madness, even to attempt that. But it had paid off. With nothing but admiration for the students, the General ejected the spent magazine of the Enfield amidst the rousing cheering from the British troops . A victory at last.  
The ride back culminated in a buzzing mood for both of us. It was akin to one of "Did i really do that moments?". The sheer gall and complexity to dodge companies of Japanese soldiers and a tank to lay a highly unstable explosive from a zooming jeep. There was absolutely no margin for error whatsoever and the element added to the highly charged mood.  
The gate entrance was lined with British troops cheering. The maneuver had probably all but saved the remnants of the British tactical force that were deployed to the school.  
And there he was. Percival was standing, arms akimbo and flanked with his rifle wielding troops as usual, but with a big grin on his face instead of a scowl.  
Coasting to a stop near the car park, we hopped out of the Jeep, making our way towards him.  
"Good Job!" The General winked. I turned to respond, but his mind was already elsewhere, ordering the troops to pursue the retreating Japanese forces.

The months that followed seemed like a whirlwind. The British forces pushed back harder than ever, beating the Germans back in the European theatre of the war. From being on the brink of collapse in Dunkirk to the rumors surrounding Operation Sealion and the advance towards Germany, it all seemed exactly out of the history books, although it was almost 3 years too early. The valuable information that i fed to the British High Command certainly worked wonders in tandem with the industrial giant that was America churning out thousands of M4A1 Shermans daily with the up gunned 95mm turret.  
The British were still embattled by bitter resistance back in Singapore as i could testify to the numerous bloody street battles. Although they were low on supplies, the British had called Yamashita's bluff. A stalemate was on the cards, a stark contrast to the bluff that Yamashita did call on Percival in the normal timeline.  
There wasn't' enough time to reflect as i was brought back to the battlefield. Small arms fire peppered the convoy, which was put away rather quickly by the M3 Lee's 75mm gun.  
Nodding to CK, i clambered onto the turret of a M3 Lee that was riding alongside us. The road ahead was dark, and smelt of a potential ambush despite tracer rounds illuminating the area.  
There was only a little warning as the tank was rocked by an explosion. The whole world seemed to be spinning like a vertigo as my eyes struggled to focus on the burning M3. I had been thrown a few feet away from the wrecked tank, and none the worse for wear.  
Feeling a hand on my shoulder, i was helped up by a familiar figure. CK grinned as he spun the both of us into cover.

"Anti-tank gun!"

The General was already barking orders to return fire, directing the rest of the M3s in a flanking movement as fusillades of bullets erupted from all around. Japanese infantry streamed out into the open from their hiding places and were now firing a mass of weapons and anti-tank guns.  
Popping a smoke grenade, i threw the projectile across the main road.  
Within moments, the road was covered in white dense smoke, covering our advance into a Japanese held building.  
Hugging the stairwells, i willed myself to not to exude as much noise as possible, sneaking across the hallway and watching the corridors for Japanese personnel.  
Crouching as i neared an open door, i sneaked a peek at the interior of the open room, preparing the Sten for action.  
There was a lone soldier, reloading his Type-70 anti-tank launcher from a storage cache.  
I was probably looking at the person who had almost killed me earlier.  
Oblivious to my presence, i nodded to CK to keep watch as i let my Sten sling down, screwing on a suppressor on my Browning Hi-power pistol.  
With anger coursing through my body, i walked up towards the soldier, who had nary a time to react as he whirled around to take a bullet in his forehead.  
Snatching up the Type-70, i nodded for CK to keep watch. Duly obliging, he closed the door and positioned himself accordingly, if there happened to be any intruders waiting to crash the party.  
From my position, i could make out an outline of a Type-47mm pummeling our M3 Lees. The muzzle flash illuminated the surrounding area, betraying several high canisters of explosive rounds in storage, ready to be loaded.

Without a moment's hesitation, i flicked the safety lever of the launcher and pulled the trigger, yelling for CK to clear the area as the backblast filled the room.  
The rocket left the tube, homing in on the Anti tank gun, who had no time to return fire on the approaching missile. The projectile slammed into the Type-47 , disintegrating the entrenched position. Shrapnel rose into the air as explosive rounds were cooked off, annihilating the ambushers in a series of massed explosions.  
Dropping the Type-70, i ran towards the hallway with CK in hot pursuit, screaming to a halt as we heard footsteps pounding up the stairs. Japanese soldiers converging on our position. We were made.  
Without a pause, i brought the Sten to bear and unloaded a hail of bullets. Blood decorated the place as the bodies fell back into the stairwell.  
Reloading a fresh mag, i jumped over the corpses as we exited the building, hot on the heels of the convoy.  
Hugging the walls of the shophouses to keep stealth, we darted forward, pausing only at the sound of gunfire. The convoy seemed to have disappeared in thin air.  
Ducking into an alleyway, i turned to CK.  
"This is great..."  
"What do we do now?"

It was clear to CK that I'd had enough of fighting. Throwing down my weapon, I began to pace around, the fight in me evaporating at the hopelessness of the situation.  
Almost instaneously, i felt the weapon being pressed back into my arms "You gotta hang in there. You wanna go back, you've gotta carry on. Remember what you promised the guys at the campus?"  
The words were little, but significant as visions of the students creeped into my mind. Those close friends, schoolmates, who were pinning everything on us, their only hope. Surely I couldn't let them down?

I stared at my Sten, giving the whole circumstance a good thinking before I attached the ammo clip back into the SMG.  
CK was already surveying the main street for any ambush, with an all clear sign thrown back a second later.  
There was no time to lose.  
As we emerged from the alley, the whole street seemed out of a cheap zombie horror flick, rather than a battlefield.

Darkness had eroded at the sun, and the moon now reigned supreme over the starry laden skies. If there were any traces of recent movements, they were dotted over by the ravages of war. Death hung in the air as putrid corpses lined the street, victims of the Sook Ching operation.  
"Jesus!"  
Whatever monstrosity the Japs delved into could not be comprehended, from bayonet wounds to beheadings, they certainly took the cake. From men, to women, to children alike, no one was spared the cruel onslaught of death.  
We soldiered on, pausing momentarily to check for signs of life upon the mountains of death. But all were the same. Glassy eyes stared back at us as the wind howled, picking up in intensity. It was no night out to be out as the wise legends advised..

A cry rose over the whipping wind, a seemingly haunting, yet mournful note, in tune to the somber scene that the street was hosting. Nudging CK, i gripped my Sten "You hear that?"  
"i sure did, it's from over there."  
Cautiously inching towards the voice, i gripped the Sten as tension exhibited itself through my white knuckles. I didn't believe in ghosts, but certainly this was unnerving.  
The wail, which had been soft, was now louder, seemingly emanating from a pile of dead bodies.  
Letting my Sten fall, CK and i picked through the bodies. Were there survivors at last? There, before us, lay a girl, clutching at her leg wound with one hand and nudging at another girl in a desperate measure to coax her unconscious friend to rejoin the world of waking.  
Gently, i pried away the hands of the girl, tending to her wound as CK applied CPR to the unmoving female, banging the life back into her. In, out, In, out.

There was a brief choke, and her eyes fluttered open, much to CK's delight. Gently helping the two damsels to thier feet, we half supported the injured girls into a derelict coffeeshop to avoid the roving eyes of the Japanese.  
The atmosphere was certainly strange. Here i was, back in the 1940s, in an ancient era coffeeshop, with the company of my good buddy, fighting the Japanese in a time where our grandparents were teenagers and now, we were responsible for two teenage girls who had miraculously escaped the jaws of death.  
Lighting a candle, we set to work, making the shophouse fit for human dwelling, avoiding the curious and fixated gazes of the girls.  
With shelter taken care of, food was the next most important on the agenda. CK and i had some military rations between us, which were taken quite quickly by the ravenous teenagers, who certainly did not fare better under the Sook Ching. Us? It seemed filling enough to see two happy faces without a care in the world finally escaping their terror. As contentment washed over the house, the mood lightened, until sleep beckoned invitingly for CK.

For the rest of the night, sleep eluded my weary body, and so i became the unofficial security guard for the unearthly hours. At times, the temptation to nod off seemed really inviting, but the chance to get caught by the Japanese and sent to an eternal sleep put paid to any ideas my eyes had, helped by what seemed like a bad British attempt at coffee.  
There was a scrape, and every fibre of my being went into full alert, only to stand down as the girl with the injured foot hobbled down from the stairwell, taking the empty chair next to me.  
"Couldn't sleep eh?"  
I tried English, hopefully that was her first language. All worries were dissipated as the reply came back, fluently.  
"Yeah, i guess. Thanks for saving me and my sis"

I had a good look at her up close, now. It was hard to put an age on her, certainly not helped by the dated fashions she sported. Her hair was pulled back fiercely, accentuating the dirtied rouge makeup on her face. Elegant for her age.  
"That was your sister?" My incredulous face elicited a couple of giggles. Girls of the previous era and the present were so different. I could really get used to staying here.  
"Yup." "The Japs caught us when they barged into our house. Wanted to take us as comfort women but we refused, and they sent us to the torture houses."  
Her arm raised several degrees, locating the dingy yellow building just across the street.  
" "The Brits were coming and they decided to gun down the whole lot of us ." "Luckily i dragged my sister down just as they started firing."  
It was right out of the history books, except that the chilling tale stuck to my bone as i plastered a momentary smile to cover my distaste of the brutalized narration. The Japs were too much.  
"That's sick."  
"Not really!" Her voice was a pitch higher now, as her anger struggled to surface. "The Japs dismembered people that i knew, neighbors, friends, even my niece!" Tears were erupting on her porcelain covered cheek.  
Daring myself, i extended a comforting arm as i took her in a soft embrace. For a while there was an uneasy silence, punctuated by muffled sobs from the teen.

In trying to lighten the atmosphere, i realized that I hadn't known her name.  
"I never did get your name by the way"  
Flashing her a sheepish smile and turning twelve maroon shades of red, i elicited yet more laughter from the bubbly teen.  
"Raine." "And you?"  
"Nicky" I extended my hand.

As her dainty porcelain hands accepted the handshake, a rush of electrified feeling surged through my body. Even as brief as it was, the feeling brought a warm smile to my face, something that had been missing in this conflict.

"Go sleep now, it's almost dawn." Shooing her up the stairs, i allowed myself a peek at her diminishing figure scooting up the stairwell before returning to my post.  
"Sleep early!" floated down from the dark stairwell. Acknowledging her reply with a smile, i woke CK for his turn to guard as i jumped into bed, hopefully catching what fitful sleep i could garner before the sun rose.


End file.
